Warm, less humid, but still very dry – the weather makes me think of that old song by The Temptations, “I Wish It Would Rain”. My interest today was captured by a variety of flying creatures: A female Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) nectaring on a Zinnia flower, a Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) nectaring on Verbena bonariensis and the dreaded Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatulus). This last one is an Asian invasive that wreaks havoc on our grape, orchard and logging industries – I followed environmental agencies’ instructions and squashed it dead!
Frequent contributor, Steve Kanan wrote: “Went to the garden today (Fri) and was happy to see a couple butterflies and one slightly cooperative hummingbird moth.”
Quintessential mid-summer weather: hazy, hot and humid, scarcely a breeze to be found and no relief from the puny little puffs of air movement encountered. Stayed in the shade, looking for relief from the heat; thank goodness for the various water fountains dotting the property, their rippling waters and dripping sounds provided some respite from the heat, even if only fleeting. Photos show the Sylvan Terrace pool and fountain, the Shade Garden goldfish pool and mini waterfall, the Rose Garden fountain with its four jets and the trickling fountain next to the pergola behind the Mansion – most of the water features on the property are either in the shade or shade is nearby. Stay cool!
A hot summer day, the gardens are a bit dry and blooming less profusely, but plenty of color can still be found. A medium-sized Crape Myrtle shrub (Lagerstroemia indica cv. Velma’s Royal Delight) is full of flower clusters, the Black-Eyed Susan plants (Rudbeckia) are beginning to bloom and there are pockets of Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata) blooming in several beds.
Frequent contributor, Katharine Boyle sent these beautiful images along with the following note:
”Enclosed are some recent images from Friday. I’ll admit that the up close and personal photos of the honeybee are a bit intense. You can see its tongue (proboscis) and its ocelli (tiny “simple eyes”) in the shots. Bees have two large eyes and then three tiny eyes above them. Hope you and others enjoy them! “
Thanks to a few showers yesterday, the humidity is down and it feels much cooler today, what a relief! The Gardens next to Matilda’s cottage are blooming beautifully in a riot of colors, textures, shapes and heights. There are bright red Daylilies (Hemerocallis), light pink Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos), mauve Cluster Top Vervain (Verbena bonariensis), tall white Tobacco plants (Nicotiana), bright orange Turks Cap Lilies (Lilium superbum), and several decorative dry Allium giganteum (Giant Onion) seed heads. Plan to visit soon, these are not the only gardens in bloom.
Mid-80s today at the Arboretum. Walking from spot of shade to spot of shade and sitting often, so grateful for all the comfortable benches along the way! The Adirondack chairs in front of the Mansion provide an expansive view of the Great Lawn; blooming in the gardens were bright red Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ (Montbretia), periwinkle blue Platycodon grandiflorus (Balloon Flower) and, in a large pot in the shade, Eucomis ‘Sparkling Burgundy’ (Pineapple Lily) with Oakleaf Hydrangea flowers behind it.
The sunny beds flanking the entrance to the Haggerty Education Center have been planted differently this year with a “hot” combination of tropical plants, including Aechmea blanchetiana ‘Hawaii” (Bromeliad), deep red Coleus spp, bright orange Marigolds (Tagetes) and delicate Tassel Flowers (Emilia spp). It makes for a striking arrangement, especially when planted in front of the dark green hedge behind. Visit and see for yourself!
Picture credits: Margery Ennist.
Achmea Blanchetiana Hawaii
Achmea Blanchetiana Hawaii
Achmea Blanchetiana Hawaii
This is the Friends of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s Photo Gallery. Click on the title of one of the albums below to open it where you may then browse the pictures. To receive photos regularly, sign up for our weekly email blast by clicking here.
We welcome pictures from all our friends and visitors — send any you would like to see here to webmaster@arboretumfriends.org.
The gardens at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum are offering much beauty, serenity and color these days. The pink Dogwoods (Cornus spp) behind the tent are lovely this year. There are several planters around the property, this one is a sweet combination of pansies, columbines, scabiosa, etc. Also, wearing a full coat of dark red, dissected leaves, the Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) next to the pond in front of Matilda’s Cottage is a lovely sight. Thanks to Gerry Pappalardo for the Maple photo and to Margery Ennist for the pretty, pink dogwood.
The Frelinghuysen Arboretum is a lovely 127 acre garden with perennial beds, woods, vegetable gardens, etc. Plan a visit soon!
Friends Member Gerry Pappalardo shared his photo of the stunning red leaves on a Cercis canadensis ‘Flame Thrower’ which was available for purchase at our Plant Sale.
A variety of nicely arranged planters can be found around the grounds at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum; Member Debby Holz captured a lovely one in the vicinity of the Rose Garden; another planter combining Pansies and Euphorbia was at the tent entrance to the Friends Plant Sale.
Several Jack-in-the Pulpit (Arisaema tryphyllun) plants found a home nestled at the base of a Redbud tree; known for its distinctive flower structure, this lovely New Jersey native woodland perennial thrives in rich, moist, shaded woods.
The pictures of the Pansy/Euphorbia planter and the Jack-in-the Pulpits are courtesy Margery Ennist.
The grounds around the Arboretum are just bursting with color and so many different textures, shapes, sizes, etc. Make sure to plan a visit soon!
In addition to the gift items mentioned in last week’s eblast, you will also have the opportunity to purchase Womanswork Arm Saver Gloves, Green Gorilla Tubs and Marseilles Grapefruit Mini Soap. Remember Mother’s Day is coming!
Aesculus pavia (Red Buckeye), a species of deciduous, flowering small tree native to the eastern parts of the United states. Aquilegia canadensis ‘Little Lanterns’ (Little Lanterns Columbine), a dwarf selection of our native Columbine with downward facing red and yellow flowers, great for a shade or woodland garden and attracts hummingbirds! Last, but not least, Phlox subulata ‘Drummond’s Pink’ (Drummond’s Pink Creeping Phlox), a low growing, mat forming perennial that can reach 4-6″ high with a spread of 18-24″. The foliage makes a great evergreen groundcover.
A variety of gardening related gifts will be available for purchase at the Plant Sale, i.e., Womanswork Pink Weeder Gloves, Womanswork Plant Snips in green or pink, Gorilla Tubs medium or large, Very Dirty Hands Soap etc. These make wonderful Mother’s Day gifts or gifts for any lucky gardener!
Here’s a preview of some of the rare and unusual beauties that will be available at this year’s Plant Sale: Bletilla Yokohama (Ground Orchid) sports some lovely star shaped lavender flowers; Caryopteris x clandonensis ‘White Surprise’ (White Surprise False Blue Spirea) with lovely white edged leaves and small blue flowers; Fragaria variegata (Variegated Alpine Strawberry), another white edged leaf plant producing crops of sweet flavorful fruit; Gladiolus dalenii ‘Boone’ (Boone Hardy Gladiolus) this is a cold hardy gladiolus with gorgeous apricot colored flowers; Lilium ‘Springville’ (Springville Lily) a natural hybrid of two North American native lilies, the pendent scarlet red flowers are each spotted brown toward the throat. Nepeta racemosa ‘Little Titch’ (Little Titch Catmint) a compact Catmint growing up to 10″ tall with masses of fragrant, tubular lavender flowers; Streptocarpus ‘Spin Art’ (Cape Primrose) makes an excellent houseplant for a low light area, with royal purple flowers streaked with red.
260408 Nepeta racemosa 'Little Titch'
260408 Nepeta racemosa 'Little Titch'
260408 Streptocarpus 'Spin Art'
260408 Streptocarpus 'Spin Art'
260408 Fragaria variegata
260408 Fragaria variegata
260408 Gladiolus dalenii 'Boone'
260408 Gladiolus dalenii 'Boone'
260408 Caryopteris x clandonensis 'White-Surprise'
260408 Caryopteris x clandonensis 'White-Surprise'
Most of these are tender perennials, so they will look great in containers and/or as house plants: Abutilon savitzii (Variegated Flowering Maple), Alternanthera ficoidea ‘Party Time’ (Joseph’s coat). Farfugium japonicum var. giganteum (Giant Leopard Plant), Pelargonium ‘Mr. Henry Cox’ (Henry Cox Geranium), Rodgersia pinnata ‘Superba’ (Rodger’s Flower) and Alocasia cuprea ‘Red Secret’ (Elephant Ear).
All of these gorgeous plants will be available at this year’s Plant Sale!
260401 Abutilon savitzii variegated flowering maple
260401 Abutilon savitzii variegated flowering maple
The 16th Annual Community Garden Conference is a wrap. Keynote speakers Christopher Bolden-Newsome and Owen Taylor presented a wonderful, interesting and informative program, and their Truelove Seeds were available for purchase at the Conference. Thank you to all the presenters and roundtable moderators for another successful Conference. See you next year!
Here are a couple of photos of the keynote speakers and the seed sale table. Thanks to Peter Nitzsche for the Truelove Seeds table photo and to Judy Snow for the photo of the keynote speakers at the table.
Take a visual journey through Marge’s remarkable 40-year career in floral design. This special display showcases a small portion of her stunning arrangements over the decades, highlighting her creativity, artistry, and lasting impact on the world of floral design.
On a recent visit to the Arboretum, Lisa Bencivengo and Heather Emelander captured several lovely examples of winter interest in the garden. The red twigs of a Cornus sericea (Red Stemmed Dogwood – Lisa) and the reddish, early blooming, strappy flowers of Hamamelis vernalis (Red Imp Witch Hazel – Heather) are delightful on a late winter day, as is the exfoliating bark on the Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple – Lisa) at the entrance to the Haggerty Education Center. Subtle, but beautiful nevertheless.
Thanks, Lisa & Heather!
Explore these trees, shrubs, and seasonal highlights in our Garden Drop Video Series on our YouTube Channel — your source for year-round garden inspiration.
The annual Benjamin Blackburn Scholarship Lecture was held on Saturday, February 7 in the Haggerty Education Center at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum.
We want to thank all volunteers who helped make this program enjoyable for everyone in attendance by making sure everything ran smoothly. Thanks also to Marge Hulstrunk, who created the lovely centerpieces on the food and beverage tables.
A recent visit to the Arboretum on a cold, windy day was short, but enjoyable. A striking dark leaved Euphorbia was a surprise as was the pastel-hued ornamental cabbage, both nestled among thin leaves of grass. The arbor was decorated with a series of grapevine globes and a whimsical pair of grapevine “snowmen” greeted me on the way into the Haggerty Education Center.
Even on a chilly, early winter day, there was beauty to be found. Plan a visit soon!
Saturday’s Tree Symposium was a big success, judging by the enthusiastic comments from 70 participants. Four excellent speakers engaged the audience with the latest information on the impact of trees in our environment, as well as the challenges facing their survival. Bruce Crawford, MCPC Garden Manager, gave the final talk on special trees at the Arboretum and led a walking tour to point them out. At the end, he demonstrated best practices for tree planting at the edge of the great lawn in front of the mansion. We are grateful to Bartlett Tree Experts for sponsoring the event and donating the tree that was planted. Read more in the upcoming issue of Arboretum Leaves. Judy Snow
Thank you to Marge Hulstrunk and Russell Gatzke for the lovely table arrangements, see photo.
Thanks to Kathy Kirk for the photos of our speakers and to Judy Snow for the photos of Bruce Crawford on the tour and tree planting.
